One person’s misfortune may be another’s luck. The high incidence of dengue fever in parts of India has, in recent years, increased the sale of kiwi fruit in the country. Indeed, the business of imported exotic fruits is expected to grow by 25 per cent over the next couple of years.

“Kiwi has become popular in the recent past due to the belief that it helps patients from diseases like dengue recover faster,” Tarun Arora, Director, IG International, India’s largest fresh fruit importer, told BusinessLine .

Kiwi has the fastest growing exotic fruit market in India, with a compound annual growth rate of 80-100 per cent, as health-conscious consumers drive the demand for high-value, imported exotic fruits. This industry is currently growing at 15-20 per cent.

India, with its diverse climate, is among the largest growers of fruits and vegetables in the world. It currently imports 3.50 lakh metric tonnes of fruits per annum, worth about ₹3,000 crore, which is expected to increase to ₹4,000 crore in two-three years, he said. IG International’s market share in this segment is about 15 per cent.

“Besides Mumbai and Bengaluru, exotic fruits have found new markets in Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Raipur, Nagpur and Ludhiana.” IG International had launched persimmon, horned melons and New Zealand’s Avanza avocado in India recently. An avocado usually sells at nearly ₹400 apiece. With 60 per cent market share, IG International leads in the import of cherry which is highly perishable. Apple, the most popular fruit globally, has over 300 commercial varieties but only 20-25 are known in India. Currently, India consumes 20 million tonnes of apples annually.From farm-to-fork, most cold-stored and supplied fruits have an average life of 50 days, while apples have a life of 60-90 days.

Quickly perishable cherry, kiwis and grapes are imported only by air cargo, while fruits with a longer shelf life come into India via the sea route, he said.

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